How to Knit a Little Angel
What you will need...
Total time - 1 Hour 20 Minutes Each
Complete Size 5 cm Width, 6 cm height
3.25mm knitting needles (UK 10, US 3)
Double knitting yarn - White and sparkly silver.
Sewing up needle
Scissors
Optional Pin/Plain Hairband - to Sew to the Back to form a Badge/Decorative hairband
Before You Start...
Abbreviations
K = Knit P = Purl St = Stitch Sts = Stitches
St-st = stocking stitch. Alternating a row of knit stitches (right side), with a row of purl stitches (wrong side).
G-st = Garter stitch. Every row knit.
K2tog = Decrease by knitting two stitches together, making one stitch from two.
Inc = Increase - by knitting into the front and the back of the same stitch, to make two stitches out of one.
Sl2tog - Slip two stitches together from the left needle to the right
psso - pass slipped stitches over (over the knitted stitch)
Cast On - I use the thumb method
B&t tightly - Break off yarn and thread yarn through the remaining stitches on needle, pull up tightly and fasten off
TOP TIP
Sew up and add stitching in the suggested order to allow a neater finish when fastening off loose ends.
How to Make it...
Made from two knitted main pieces, one knitted wing piece, and a finger-knitted piece to form the halo. All pieces are sewn together with added stitching for the facial features and stars at the base of her dress. Optional pin badge, hairband or finger-knitted loop to be sewn on your finished piece, to allow it to be used as an accessory.
Main Piece
Make 2
Time - 15 Minutes each
Piece Size 5 cm x 6 cm
Needles 3.25 mm
Yarn White
Cast on 13sts
G-st 2 rows
Beginning with a K row st-st 8 rows, dec 1 st at the start of every row (5sts)
St-st 2 further rows to form the neck
K 1, Inc Kwise, K 1, inc Kwise, K 1 (7 sts)
P 1 row
K 1, Inc Kwise , K 1, inc Kwise, K 1, inc Kwise, K 1 (10sts)
Beginning with a P row st-st 3 rows
K 1, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K 1, K2tog, K1 (7 sts)
P 1 row
K 1, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K 1 (5 sts)
P 1 row
B&t tightly
Wings
Make 1
Time - 10 Minutes
Piece Size 5 cm x 4 cm
Needles 3.25 mm
Yarn White
Cast on 8 sts
G-st four rows Inc 1 st at the start of every row (12 sts)
G-st two further 2 rows
G-st 9 further rows, Dec 1 st at the start of every row until 3 sts remain
Sl2tog, K 1, psso
Halo
Make 1
Time - 5 Minutes
Size 1.5 cm x 4.5 cm
Needles 3.25 mm
Yarn Sparkly silver
Using a single length of yarn, finger-knit a length of approximately 5cm.
Piece it Together...
Stitching of Features - Total of 15 Minutes
Sewing-up time - Total of 20 Minutes
Facial Features
Using sparkly silver yarn, stitch two sleeping eyes, and some stars at the base of your angel main piece. Fasten and trim off loose ends so that they don't show through the finished piece.
Sewing Up
Main Piece - With right side of st-st on the outside, sew across row ends and cast on edge, leaving one side of row ends open. Stuff lightly and close gap in seam.
Wings - Pin the wing piece centrally to the back of the angel, and sew into place by using backstitch down the centre. This should form a centre line and allow the wings to bend out slightly from the centre.
Halo - Place the halo around the top of the completed angel, sewing into place at the back and sewing through one stitch at the front to fix it into place.
Either fasten off all loose ends, or leave a length of yarn at the centre back of the angel to be able to sew on a hairband or pin badge if desired.
Making a Hairband
Sew the hairband so it lies horizontally across the back of the poppy. This will allow the poppy to rest in the upright position in the hair.
Oversew several times to give it strength and longevity. Ensure you sew the band into the main piece as well as the wings, so that the wings don't pull off with repeated use.
Make it Different...
This little angel makes a lovely little accessory. Due to the small size, she is great for putting in the hair, hang from a drawer, handle or window. And especially good for a handmade Christmas tree decoration!
As well as a 3D angel accessory as above, there is also the option of knitting an angel using a single main piece. This main piece may then be sewn onto something else, such as a stocking or cushion, to make other Christmassy things. You may also wish to use larger needles to make her a bit bigger without adding any extra time.
Experiment with some different facial features, or different colours for your stars and facial features to give them your own personal touch.
Complete the collection by adding in a santa, reindeer or snowman!
Behind the Scenes!
These patterns are all made up as I go along, learning from mistakes along the way. Every time I create a new pattern, I record it in the Updates part of this site (effectively my blog…) There is a story behind each creation, and this can help give you some more ideas and encouragement.
All done?
Feel free to share your successes or any other tips or suggestions by contacting me. If it's all gone swimmingly and you're ready for your next challenge, have a look at what to try next!